Zakir Naik extradition process to be set into motion soon

The Narendra Modi government is set to turn up the heat on controversial preacher Zakir Naik, who has been in Saudi Arabia since the Dhaka attack in July this year, after banning his NGO.

The Narendra Modi government is set to turn up the heat on controversial preacher Zakir Naik, who has been in Saudi Arabia since the Dhaka attack in July this year, after banning his NGO.

With the raids on Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) by the National Investigation Agency early on Saturday to support the FIR filed by the agency against Naik and IRF, the Home Ministry has enough ammo to move Interpol and ask it to issue a lookout notice for Naik. After this, all the Centre has to do is ask Saudi Arabia to deport him since India and Saudi Arabia have signed an extradition treaty. Riyadh will have no option but to turn Naik in, which is also one of the reasons why underworld don Dawood Ibrahim left Dubai for Pakistan.

The FIR against Naik and others has been registered under sections 10, 13, 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code, for allegedly involving in unlawful activities and inciting hatred among religious groups.

Earlier this week, the Government banned the IRF for five years for allegedly being associated with terrorist activities. It had also turned off IRF finances by saying no funding was to be allowed to the NGO without the Centre’s clearance.